Military aircraft instead of cars: Europe's rearmament is filling the order books of Swiss industry
The prospects for the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and metal industries are brightening. One reason for this is fear of Russia: Swiss cutting-edge technology is also in demand in the European arms industry.
The outlook for Switzerland's machinery, electrical and metal industries is improving due to increased demand from the European defense industry. This surge in demand is driven by Europe's response to Russia's actions, including the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with countries like Germany investing heavily in defense - 124 billion euros this year, double 2022's amount.
Swiss companies such as Huber + Suhner, Elma, and Cicor are benefiting from this trend, with Huber + Suhner seeing a 40% increase in orders in the first half of 2026 and Elma a 40% rise in new orders. These companies, which are not traditional arms manufacturers but rather diversified firms, are supplying components and systems for defense and aerospace programs.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
